The Highlands Coutny health department came by friday and told us that the orange grove behind our house put pesticides on the grove a year ago that were not suppose to be used and may have tainted our drinking water. Two questions on that.
Why would it take them a year to find out that this was done? and Wouldn’t it be a little late to tell us now if there was a problem?
I have great drinking water at my house and drink it all the time. I for one do not want city water if the tests come back positive for pesticides. Seems to me that the grove owner should take all the responsibility on this one.
What do you think?

Nothing new here Dixie. Much of The ground water in Highlands County was contaminated by grove owners use of EDB back in the 1950’s. I live in a delineated area, where the ground water, even though pristine looking, is not safe for human consumption.

http://iahs.info/redbooks/a182/iahs_182_0079.pdf

The problem is that they used a chemical that they weren’t supposed to be using at all. Why did it take a year for someone to find out.Telling us now that we have all been using it doesn’t make any sense.

dixie1 - 08 March 2010 03:05 PM

The problem is that they used a chemical that they weren’t supposed to be using at all. Why did it take a year for someone to find out.Telling us now that we have all been using it doesn’t make any sense.

It was likely discovered by showing up in a random test. is there a new house going up in the area? Or. there may be a test well in the area that on a periodic test schedule. I don’t think there’s a public agency with responsibility for monitoring day to day application of chemicals on orange trees.

I’m sure the grove owner’s got a big problem, if it’s true that there was an application of banned chemicals on their property.

Dixie, I’d like to think the information was released as soon as it was confirmed.

Well we should find out today if the water we have been drinking for a year is harmful to us. How sweet is that.  Something tells me that they already know since they brought more free water to everyone 2 days ago. I would bet that all the water in Highlands County is tainted in one way or another. Might want to think about the fish that you are getting out of our lakes also.

Seems as you and I are the only ones that care about this problem dixie. Most people either don’t know, or don’t care about our poluted and chemical laced water.

The people responsible for this, and other past pollution, should have been heavily fined, or served prison time for what they’ve done to our waters over the years.

Aldicarb is manufactured by Bayer CropScience and is banned in its home country of Germany and the rest of Europe.  Here in Florida it is on the list of the top ten extrememly hazardous substances and is considered a restricted pesticide meaning that a special permit is required to use it.  The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services signs the permit requests that is necessary for approval to apply this pesticide.  The requests is usually made between January and April by the Citrus Grove Caretakers.  The only way this could have been used in the grove is if the Dept. of Ag signed off on it.  I don’t know why it would have taken over a year to find out that a mistake happened.

Yes, the person(s) who used the pesticide off-label, should be held accountable, but my being alarmed/outraged, at this point, changes nothing.  I care, but I’m willing to wait for the test results.

An informative paper on the breakdown/decompsosition of Aldicarb in Florida uses/conditions:
https://info.ngwa.org/GWOL/pdf/860637519.PDF

IsThatSo - 10 March 2010 02:56 PM

The only way this could have been used in the grove is if the Dept. of Ag signed off on it.  I don’t know why it would have taken over a year to find out that a mistake happened.

An error on the part of the applicator?  It happens.

IsThatSo - 10 March 2010 02:56 PM

Aldicarb is manufactured by Bayer CropScience and is banned in its home country of Germany and the rest of Europe.  Here in Florida it is on the list of the top ten extrememly hazardous substances and is considered a restricted pesticide meaning that a special permit is required to use it.  The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services signs the permit requests that is necessary for approval to apply this pesticide.  The requests is usually made between January and April by the Citrus Grove Caretakers.  The only way this could have been used in the grove is if the Dept. of Ag signed off on it.  I don’t know why it would have taken over a year to find out that a mistake happened.

The first question is. did the Dept. of Ag. sign off on it’s use? Next question. Did someone use it without the required sign off? Next Question. Did someone make a mistake?

No matter, someone’s in a lot of trouble. Let’s wait until the facts are known.

Good call Poopy head.

Neither one of you had a response to why is had taken over a year to find out about this mistake but you both agree that it is better to wait.  Also for Poopy Head, the link in your post was for an article twenty four years old.  Can’t you find anything more current?  Oh well, checking the sun dial it is time to retire.

IsThatSo - 10 March 2010 11:43 PM

Neither one of you had a response to why is had taken over a year to find out about this mistake but you both agree that it is better to wait.  Also for Poopy Head, the link in your post was for an article twenty four years old.  Can’t you find anything more current?  Oh well, checking the sun dial it is time to retire.

As you mentioned, Aldicarb is highly toxic and closely regulated.  According to what I’ve read, its rate of decomposition is greatly affected by temperature, soil pH and the amount and type of sediment found in the aquifer or body of water.  Those three things being near constant in this area, sure, the link went to old science, but I’d say the science is probably still good.

My experience with this sorta thing is with herbicides, especially those used in aquatic and invasive plant management.  Similar, but different.  Same basic principles, same type of precautions are used with each.  From the University of Florida - Institute of Food and Agricultural Services (UF/IFAS), a link that lists the approved uses (citrus being one) and applicable restrictions, and includes information regarding drinking wells: 

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pi111

Why a year to discover the error?  We may not learn that until the investigation is finished.

Yo poopy. Don’t try to explain further. These folks don’t want information, or to try and understand how these things happen, or eventually become discovered.  Also, they don’t want to wait for the results of an investigation. What they apparently are seeking is a neck or two to put a hangman’s noose around.

I feel their anger.

Today they decided to tell us in the paper that the orange crop is doing good. Isn’t that great. They make money and we get poisoned. Glad someone is happy about this!

dixie1 - 11 March 2010 02:24 PM

Today they decided to tell us in the paper that the orange crop is doing good. Isn’t that great. They make money and we get poisoned. Glad someone is happy about this!

Who’s the grove owner Dixie?

Not sure. Its the grove on 17 south off of 98.